Ep. #249: Puff Pieces

Amanda Huron and Mike Andre are two-thirds of a wonderfully sharp band called Puff Pieces. Based in Washington, D.C., Puff Pieces write very catchy, somewhat minimal punk songs that are pointed and clever. Their new album is called Bland in D.C. and is out now via Lovitt Records. Here, Amanda and Mike discuss chopping down cherry blossom trees in Washington D.C., George Washington was an axe-wielding monster, politics, being from D.C. as opposed to moving there for a job, Amanda’s job teaching at a local public university, many trees, capitalism and skepticism, Germany before Hitler and American decadence, blame Washington, big cities versus small ones, the meaning behind Bland in D.C., Bad Brains, the nefarious nature of the new gentrification, Salt & Sundry, satiric music, being a musician as an adult, Chain & the Gang, the humour and the anxiety, rocking beats, what we try to do with art, effective messaging, being in a band in the world today, Ryan Nelson of Soccer Team, where Puff Pieces comes from, not moving to China, how they got funny, the song “Mindhead,” the movie Bowfinger, Broadway musicals, conceptual music, being taken seriously if you’re funny, the music comes first, bouncy bass, not a lot of touring, weekend warriors, Canada and Nova Scotia, a new Puff Pieces record, the band’s tumblr page, the band’s name, the song “Wondrous Flowers,” and that was it.